Headed to Levi’s Stadium for 49ers games or Ed Sheeran concert? Train will take you there

The Altamont Corridor Express will run trains to most San Francisco 49ers home games during the 2023 season.

And it will have a Sept. 16 trip for a concert by British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, also at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

ACE mainly serves commuters to Bay Area jobs, with four weekday round trips between Stockton and Silicon Valley. It has offered special trains in coordination with the Union Pacific Railroad, which has freight service on the same tracks.

Football and music fans in Stanislaus County can board ACE most easily at the Manteca/Lathrop station. They will get off at the Great America station, right next to Levi’s.

The round-trip fare is $30 from the San Joaquin Valley, $25 from Livermore and Pleasanton, and $20 from Fremont. Tickets can be reserved at acerail.com.

ACE has served the 49ers off and on since the stadium opened in 2014. The most recent trip was a playoff game during the 2019 season.

Not on Monday or Thursday nights

The NFL season starts Sunday, Sept. 10, but the 49ers will be on the road the first two weeks. The trains will run for the six home games on Sunday afternoons or nights, but not for those on Monday or Thursday nights.

The rail service will continue if the team hosts any playoff games, Marketing Manager David Lipari said by email Wednesday.

ACE lets drivers avoid traffic on Interstates 205 and 580 and other freeways in the Bay Area. It is overseen by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission.

“We are very excited to have a partner like the San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium that recognizes the value alternative transportation can provide,” Executive Director Stacey Mortensen said in a news release.

Taylor Swift fans rode rails, too

Sheeran will play Levi’s as part his Mathematics Tour. Taylor Swift performed at the same venue in late July. ACE did not run trains, but devotees from the Sacramento area could get there on the Capitol Corridor.

Transit advocates credit Swift with inspiring a mini-boom in ridership in several cities, including some new customers. Beyoncé has carried it on at Levi’s and elsewhere.

“We’re looking forward to many of our community members experiencing all that ACE has to offer for the first time while riding to a concert or the game,” Mortensen said.

ACE has funding to expand into Stanislaus, Merced and Sacramento counties, with various stations expected to open between 2026 and 2030.

The focus on commuters will continue to start, but future funding could bring frequent service in all directions over most of each day. ACE no longer would need special trains to events.